Heartbroken clients share nostalgic reminiscences of The Body Shop
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Heartbroken followers of The Body Shop have mentioned they’ve misplaced a ‘quintessential a part of their teenager years’ with the information the beloved magnificence chain is getting into administration.
The Body Shop at the moment employs 10,000 folks throughout 3,000 shops it operates in additional than 70 nations around the globe – with an extra 12,000 employees working in franchises.
FRP Advisory has been introduced in to deal with the insolvency course of simply weeks after a brand new proprietor took management having vowed to ‘re-energise the enterprise’. The administration at the moment solely impacts UK employees and shops.
In a press release, it mentioned ‘directors will now contemplate all choices to discover a approach ahead for the enterprise and can replace collectors and workers sooner or later’.
The enterprise will proceed to commerce each in-store and on-line whereas plans are made for the way forward for the beloved excessive road model.
Heartbroken followers of The Body Shop have mentioned they’ve misplaced a ‘quintessential a part of their teenager years’
The troubled chain has introduced plans to take itself into administration within the UK
Set up in 1976 by the late Dame Anita Roddick, the corporate grew to become well-known for it is no-nonsense moral buying and selling ethos and refusal to check merchandise on animals
The troubled chain – which has confronted stiff competitors from the likes of millennial and Gen Z-friendly bathtub bomb purveyors Lush and luxurious model Rituals – had additionally simply shut down its Avon-style home based business division, The Body Shop At Home.
FRP mentioned: ‘The Body Shop has confronted an prolonged interval of economic challenges underneath previous homeowners, coinciding with a tough buying and selling atmosphere for the broader retail sector.
‘Having taken swift motion within the final month, together with closing down The Body Shop At Home and promoting its enterprise throughout most of Europe and in elements of Asia, specializing in the UK enterprise is the subsequent essential step in The Body Shop’s restructuring.’
The directors added: ‘The Body Shop stays guided by its ambition to be a contemporary, dynamic magnificence model, related to clients and in a position to compete for the long run.
‘Creating a extra nimble and financially secure UK enterprise is a crucial step in attaining this.’
Reacting to the tragic information on social media, some followers had been left bereft by the destiny of one in all their childhood reminiscences
Reacting to the tragic information on social media, some followers had been left bereft by the destiny of one in all their childhood reminiscences.
One mentioned: ‘The Body Shop was such a quintessential a part of my teenagers I keep in mind the soaps, the Henna hair die and the bathtub pearls, a spot had been maybe folks didn’t have to evolve to traditional gender primarily based magnificence norms?
‘Having mentioned that I hadn’t purchased something for years.’
‘NOOO NOT THE BODY SHOP!’, screamed one other.
‘Other than bloody good genetics (which I’m conscious I’ve), I do credit score The Body Shop for teen years that had been largely zit and blemish free’, one other remarked graciously.
There was room for humour too as one lady joked: ‘If The Body Shop began promoting Dewberry, Fuzzy Peach, Ananya and White Musk fragrance oils once more, then all of the nostalgic ladies of their 40s/50s who would purchase them might principally save the complete enterprise.’
Bridgeton actress Adjoa Andoh was additionally unhappy on the information.
She posted: ‘Heartbroken on the demise of The Body Shop, for its physique butters, make up vary, moral worth system, solidarity with communities the world over who develop the components.
‘I’ve been buying constantly at The Body Shop for the reason that 1970’s. I’m bereft.’
One former employee recalled on X, previously Twitter: ‘Sad information about The Body Shop. Still one in all my fave jobs ever after I was a pupil, labored weekends Oxford St & Kings Rd in late 90s.
‘Met some wonderful folks (cool celebs too) & fell in love with skincare & make-up.’
One Londoner wrote: ‘If the physique store in centre court docket (Centre Court Shopping Centre in Wimbledon) goes I’ll really cry.’
The retailer grew into an eco-friendly, socially accountable, politically outspoken chain of 1,700 outlets, working in 49 markets around the globe. Dame Anita is pictured above in 1984
Protesting towards animal testing was a key enterprise goal for the model, with Anita main the resistance
Redefining magnificence requirements was one other key goal for The Body Shop, with the target of constructing ladies really feel snug in their very own pores and skin
In 2012, British actress and mannequin Lily Cole (pictured) grew to become the model’s first international ambassador
Set up in 1976 by the late Dame Anita Roddick, the corporate grew to become well-known for it is no-nonsense moral buying and selling ethos and refusal to check merchandise on animals.
Popular merchandise which helped set up the model’s title included bathtub bombs, White Musk perfume and hemp hand cream.
However in recent times it has seen its reputation within the UK with consumers diminish as a result of rise of rivals Lush and Holland and Barrett, and a rising on-line market of cheaper alternate options.
The agency additionally fell out of favour with some patrons after being bought to L’Oreal for £675million by Dame Anita in 2006 – a transfer that shocked many who noticed the sale to a big company as operating counter to the corporate’s values.
The Body Shop modified arms once more in 2017 when the French cosmetics large bought it to Brazilian cosmetics maker Natura&Co for €1billion.
It was then purchased by non-public fairness agency Aurelius simply weeks in the past for £207million.
After buying the model, Aurelius mentioned that ‘regardless of the difficult retail market there is a chance to re-energise the enterprise to allow it to make the most of constructive traits within the high-growth magnificence market.’
But the transfer to maintain up with the likes of Lush and Rituals has additionally seen the agency seemingly transfer away from its do-gooder origins.
X-Factor winner Leona Lewis (pictured) adopted go well with and have become a model ambassador a yr later in 2013
Vivienne Westwood supported the model again in 2012 and attended the launch of Beauty with Hear by The Body Shop
Made in Chelsea star and influencer Lucy Watson (pictured) partnered with the model in 2018 in help of the #ForeverAgainstAnimalTesting marketing campaign
Actress Maisie Williams (pictured) urged her social media followers to hitch the #ForeverAgainstAnimalTesting marketing campaign a yr earlier than in 2013
Mark Constantine, co-founder and chief govt of Lush, instructed the Sunday Times the Body Shop had moved manufacturing to the Philippines underneath L’Oreal’s possession, pushing up earnings.
Mr Constantine, who was a serious provider to the Body Shop in a earlier function, mentioned: ‘You cannot cheapen all the pieces, take away the values and take extra revenue with out the shoppers noticing and going elsewhere.
‘They misplaced that feeling one obtained when shopping for a Body Shop product – that you simply had been serving to to vary the world.’
The Body Shop followers have been left ‘heartbroken’ following the information of the model’s potential insolvency and name for a reintroduction of their retro merchandise, together with fragrance oil (pictured)
In the early Nineteen Nineties, The Body store supplied Japanese Washing Grains (pictured). The merchandise is now not out there to buy, regardless of followers loving the product
In its true quirky fashion, the beauty retailer as soon as supplied miniature soaps that resembled completely different fruits (pictured)
It has since emerged that the enterprise has inadequate working capital and suffered from a poor Christmas interval of buying and selling. Aurelius solely took management of the agency on January 1.
That month, The Body Shop claimed that almost all of its enterprise stemmed from mainland Europe and Asia – and has since bought these companies to an unnamed investor.
It instructed Retail Week in January that the transfer ‘additional prioritises the Body Shop’s strategically essential markets and international head franchise companion relationships, which it would search for alternatives to construct.
‘The Body Shop can even concentrate on extra successfully reaching clients by strengthening digital platforms, growing new gross sales channels, and through differentiated retail experiences.’
A spokesman for the Body Shop mentioned: ‘Today, the Directors of The Body Shop International Limited have appointed Tony Wright, Geoff Rowley, and Alastair Massey of enterprise advisory agency FRP as Joint Administrators of the corporate, which operates The Body Shop’s UK enterprise.
‘Taking this method supplies the soundness, flexibility and safety to search out the most effective technique of securing the way forward for The Body Shop and revitalizing this iconic British model. The Joint Administrators will now contemplate all choices to discover a approach ahead for the enterprise and can replace collectors and workers sooner or later.
‘The Body Shop stays guided by its ambition to be a contemporary, dynamic magnificence model, related to clients and in a position to compete for the long run. Creating a extra nimble and financially secure UK enterprise, is a crucial step in attaining this.
‘The Joint Administrators will proceed to commerce the enterprise in administration, making certain clients will be capable to proceed to buy in retailer and on-line for his or her favorite merchandise.
‘The Body Shop has confronted an prolonged interval of economic challenges underneath previous homeowners, coinciding with a tough buying and selling atmosphere for the broader retail sector. Having taken swift motion within the final month, together with closing down The Body Shop At Home and promoting its enterprise throughout most of Europe and in elements of Asia, specializing in the UK enterprise is the subsequent essential step in The Body Shop’s restructuring.’
Anita Roddick: High Street pioneer who constructed £51m fortune then gave all of it away earlier than she died
Founder Dame Anita Roddick pictured in 1984
Founded in 1976, The Body Shop was one of many first cosmetics firms to ban the usage of components examined on animals and to advertise honest commerce with growing nations.
This was largely to its founder, Dame Anita Roddick, who was a human rights activist and environmental campaigner.
She was an avid campaigner for environmental and social points, together with involvement with Greenpeace and The Big Issue.
In 1990, she based a charity referred to as Children on the Edge, which helped deprived kids in Eastern Europe, Africa and Asia.
She based The Body store to earn an revenue for her and her two daughters whereas her husband was away in South America. Upon her husband’s return, he joined the enterprise.
By 2004, The Body Shop has 1980 shops, greater than 77 million clients and was voted the second most-trusted model within the UK – advert the twenty eighth prime model on the planet.
But that very same yr, Roddick was identified with liver cirrhosis as a result of hepatitis C. She did not reveal this till 2007.
She was an avid campaigner for environmental and social points, together with involvement with Greenpeace and The Big Issue
She introduced it by saying: ‘I’ve hepatitis C. It’s a little bit of a bummer, however you groan and transfer on.’
Subsequently she promoted the work of the Hepatitis C Trust and raised consciousness for the illness.
Roddick was mentioned to consider she grew to become contaminated with Hepatitis following a blood transfusion after the start of her youthful daughter. This was twenty years earlier than the UK screened blood donors for the illness.
She tragically died of an acute mind haemorrhage in September 2007. Earlier, she had sworn to depart her fortune to charities somewhat than her households and pals – a promise she remained true to.
The businesswoman was all the time adamant she had no intention of ‘dying wealthy’ and her Will revealed she had given away her complete £15million fortune to charity earlier than she died.
When she died, the gross worth of her property was £665,747 which was swallowed up by inheritance tax, leaving her web value at nil.
She had beforehand described leaving cash to your loved ones as ‘obscene’ and reduce her daughters Sam and Justine out of her will in 2005, which Sam referred to as a ‘aid’.
